Although all of these wines are imported by Mosel Wine Merchant, I actually opened them each on separate occasions, rather than at a single event. Together, they could have made for an interesting mini-tasting, though.
2010 Peter Lauer Ayler Kupp Riesling Fass 6 Senior
This wine has gotten some mixed reviews so far, with some saying that it is too acidic. I was going to give it a year or so before opening it, but I was asked this weekend if I had tried it yet, and decided to go ahead and open it now.
Mineral, lightly floral/earthy nose. Full-bodied, compact, and intense; tightly structured –this one would definitely have benefited from more aeration beforehand. Chewy, and rather tingly on the palate. Like Brut Champagne, this more or less tastes dry, but not all-out bone dry. Although the acidity is powerful, it is still a nicely balanced wine in my opinion – there is nothing that would make me compare it to Gros Plant or lemon juice. (Admittedly, though, I normally like a lot of acid in my wine.) Not to worry – the acidity starts to soften after an hour or so, and is much less aggressive on the second day. Leesy, stony, lightly chalky, and steely, with citrus/apple fruit, and a bit of smoke. Citrus zest/lemon pepper finish. Very good+.
2008 Reinhard & Beate Knebel Winninger Röttgen Riesling Spätlese Trocken
Really nice mineral/citrus/floral/cardamom/yeasty nose. Medium-bodied, broad, and nicely balanced. The acidity is high, as one would expect from 2008, but it is very well integrated. Definitely a mineral-driven wine– very slaty, lightly chalky/earthy/saline, with flavors of herbs/spices, pears, fresh nuts, and citrus zest. Not noticeably different on Day 2 – a little more linear, maybe, but much the same aromatically. Excellent; one of the best 2008s that I have had, and I love this vintage in the Mosel.
1990 Günther Steinmetz Kestener Paulinsberg Riesling Spätlese
Petrol/honeyed nose. At first, this seemed quite shrill and acidic, even by my standards. It took an hour or so to calm down it develops a better level of balance, with the acidity still prominent. This is a drier Spätlese; medium-bodied, delicately mineral, steely, with a dominant lemonade flavor, and apple and yeast notes. Very good.